Commencement speakers include distinguished alumni

Distinguished SUNY Fredonia alumni — Reginal “Reg” Spiller, who is  President and CEO of Azimuth Energy LLC and CEO of subsidiary Azimuth GIS-E, and Tim Zulawski, who is President of AMB Sports and Entertainment — will be the keynote speakers for Commencement at SUNY Fredonia.

Commencement is slated for Saturday, May 18, in the Steele Hall arena on campus. Mr. Spiller will speak at the 10 a.m. ceremony, and Mr. Zulawski, the 3 p.m. ceremony.

Detailed information about Commencement can be found on the official website.

Mr. Spiller, a graduate of the SUNY Fredonia Class of 1974 with a major in Special Studies and emphasis in Geology, is an international energy expert who has successfully worked and invested in over 60 countries. He has taken two petroleum companies public on the U.S. and London Exchanges and brought major investment to projects in the U.S., Africa, South America, Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Spiller is also former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Gas and Petroleum Technologies at the U.S. Department of Energy, and was the first petroleum geologist named to that position, where he managed a $400 million research and development budget. While at the Department of Energy, he was the co-founder of the Mickey Leland Energy Fellowship, a minority and women-focused STEM program which has placed over 1,000 students into national lab internships.

Mr. Spiller earned his Master of Science degree in Geology from Penn State University and has received its Distinguished Alumni Award. He is a 40-year founding member of the National Association of Black Geoscientists, and a board member of both the U.S. publicly-traded Range Resources Corp. and African Energy Chamber. He is a board member of the Washington State-based Innovative Theater Arts, a nonprofit that is promoting composer and playwright Milton Williams and his multimedia theatre work, “A Bridge to the Promised Land 1968.”

In addition, Mr. Spiller is Chief Scientist for the SAMEC mining company, which is engaged in bauxite and REE development in Guinea Conakry in West Africa, and previously was COO for Allied Energy, where he managed the company’s deep-water Nigeria production and development.

As a highlight of his visit to Fredonia to accept the Fredonia Alumni Association’s Outstanding Achievement Award in October 2023 at Homecoming and to celebrate the Department of Geology’s 60th anniversary, Mr. Spiller offered two talks to current students. With a group of devoted geology alumni, he has worked to raise scholarship funds to benefit the next generation of Fredonians.

Mr. Zulawski assumed the role of President of AMB Sports and Entertainment (AMBSE) in 2023. Zulawski has served Arthur Blank’s family of businesses for over two decades. During his tenure, Zulawski has served in several pivotal roles in driving value for the organization including chief revenue officer. Under Zulawski’ s leadership, the sales and service teams moved the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United into elite company in the NFL and MLS in sponsorship sales, ticket revenue and other local revenue streams.

A Sports Business Journal Forty Under 40 honoree in 2016, Zulawski started his career in sports as an intern for the NFL’s Buffalo Bills while still in high school. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from SUNY Fredonia in 1998 and a master’s degree from Springfield College in 2000. Zulawski began his career in sponsorship sales for the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning in 2001 before joining the Falcons in a similar role in 2003. Progressively promoted in the sponsorship and sales space, Zulawski became chief commercial officer of the Falcons in 2014 where he spearheaded the naming rights for Mercedes-Benz Stadium (MBS) and remained on point for landing 11 Founding Partners and 19 other sponsors prior to opening of MBS. Additionally, he led the development of stadium premium spaces, ticketing, sponsorships, and the launch of both MBS and Atlanta United.

Zulawski has led critical efforts that have made Mercedes-Benz Stadium one of the busiest venues of its kind in the world, hosting 50-plus major public events and over 150 private events annually. Zulawski has played a central role in landing major events for MBS, including the 2018 and 2025 College Football Championships; 2018 MLS All-Star Game; 2019 Super Bowl; and TBD events for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Zulawski has served as a Big Brothers Big Sisters mentor; raised funds for Covenant House; and serves as a youth flag football coach. Zulawski and his wife, Erika, are the parents of Aleksander and Mila, and reside in metro Atlanta, GA.